


a sweet poison

by ladydetective



Category: Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: Disney AU, F/F, Inspired by Snow White, Roisa Deadly Sins Week
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-15 05:24:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10550802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladydetective/pseuds/ladydetective
Summary: Day 3: Disney AU + Pride."Love is poison. A sweet poison, yes, but it'll kill you all the same."Princess Luisa meets a mysterious red-headed stranger in a tavern, only to discover the next day that she is her new step-mother and queen consort of the realm. The two quickly embark on a tumultuous affair, but will the pride of the evil queen prevent their happily ever after?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> -I originally intended this to be a one-shot, but it became longer and I decided to cut it so I'd at least get something posted this week. The Pride element (and the Snow White part, mostly) doesn't really appear until later.  
> -Thanks to deadbutwalkingc for being my beta. Even if I refused to call her Luisa Snowlano.  
> -I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this, especially because I've not written something that's totally AU before.

Rose walked quietly through the moonlit streets of King Emilio’s realm, doing her best to remain unnoticed. She was technically unfamiliar with this new location, but found that it differed little from her own native place. As with anywhere at this time of night, the streets were filled mainly with drunkards stumbling from one tavern towards another, as well as other individuals like Rose who were trying to use the cover of darkness to their own advantage.

She wore men’s clothes- breeches and a simple shirt- in place of her usual dresses for the sake of practicality. It was difficult to move quickly and quietly in a dress with a corset and petticoats. A blood red cloak completed the look, and also served to further obscure her features.

As she followed the directions an associate had given her through dirty back alley to back alley, she seriously considered returning to her own lodgings. But she _needed_ this. Who knew when she’d get the opportunity  to sneak out again? After tonight, she’d be locked up in the palace, forced to endure the King’s groping whenever he chose. _It’ll be worth it in the end_ , she told herself, _you know it will._

She arrived in an alley that she thought might be the correct one, and scanned around for a door. Upon finding it, she walked up to it and knocked precisely four times, as she had been instructed.

A small hatch opened and a woman peered through it, eyeing Rose suspiciously. ‘Password?’

She gave it, and the door swung open, revealing the speciality tavern inside. Despite the remoteness of the location, it was filled with patrons- all of them women- and music was playing loudly, originating from the band currently on the small stage.

Many of the women there, like Rose, wearing men’s clothing- probably for similar reasons. There were some wearing dresses, but they were likely regulars or people who lived close enough to the tavern that they were able to get there without arousing suspicion.

Rose’s eyes were immediately drawn to a woman standing alone at the bar. Like a great many of the women at the tavern, she was wearing men’s clothing- tight breeches that accentuated her curves as well as a white shirt that had several more buttons undone than was strictly necessary- and Rose decided then that she was the most beautiful woman that she’d ever seen. The redhead was a vain woman, not usually inclined to offer compliments to people she thought undeserving of them.

But this woman was certainly deserving.

She slid into the seat next to her, lowered her hood and offered a flirtatious smile. ‘Can I buy you a drink?’

The woman took a few moments to examine the newcomer. She had been coming to this bar for years- as often as she could sneak away- and she’d never seen the other woman before. She’d have noticed- the other woman was stunning. She shot her a rueful smile, and said ‘34 days sober, actually.’

Rose nodded understandingly, but her interest was undeterred. ‘Gotcha. I’m Rose, by the way.’

Luisa was momentarily taken aback. Most people looked uncomfortable when she mentioned her drinking problem for the first time, and were often quick to make an excuse and a swift exit. She’d learned to bring it up early on, in order to avoid disappointment later on. But this woman… she hadn’t even batted an eye. It was refreshing. And there was something very familiar about that name, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She let that thought rest, and focused on her introduction.

‘I’m Luisa. Haven’t seen you around here before. Are you new to the kingdom?’

Rose bit her lip, and debated what to tell the other woman. Obviously, she couldn’t go with the truth. If anyone ever found out, it would ruin her carefully laid plans. She eventually settled on a half-truth settled on a half-truth. ‘Yes, I am new. This is my first proper night here, actually. I came here with my family- they’re arranging a match for me, but my heart’s not in it,’ she gave Luisa another playful smile then, ‘For obvious reasons.’

They continued in this vein for some time, offering the other flirtatious remarks and then responding in kind, until eventually Luisa leaned in closely and asked, ‘I have a room upstairs. Would you like to come up with me so we can finish this… conversation?’

Rose’s smile widened further. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’

* * *

 

Rose got out of the bed, careful not to wake the slumbering brunette beside her and began searching for her clothes. It had been a most… s _atisfactory_ encounter- exactly what she needed when she needed it. Ordinarily, she would have liked more time to explore the possibility of a relationship with the other woman. But that couldn’t be, at least not now. She had plans to complete. Perhaps afterwards, if everything turned out as it should, she’d look her up again.

She finished getting dressed, then pressed a small kiss to the other woman’s cheek. Luisa stirred momentarily, but then fell back to sleep. Rose got up to leave, sparing a last glance at the other woman- she really was beautiful- then left the room.

* * *

 

Luisa woke up to sunlight streaming through cracks in the window, and groaned. She hadn’t meant to stay here all night. Her father usually gave her the freedom to come and go as she pleased, and she was grateful for it- it was certainly more than most princesses got- but she’d promised him that she’d be back in time for the stupid wedding. What number was he on now, five? Six? Luisa could still faintly recall his second marriage to the woman who became Rafael’s mother. That one had been particularly hard for her; it had happened so quickly after her own mother’s death. She could recall trying not to cry throughout the duration of the ceremony- she hadn’t fully processed what had happened to her mother and had been confused as to why her father was marrying another woman.

Since then, there had been so many ceremonies that they had become a chore to attend. She didn’t think that he’d even met the latest one yet- he’d chosen her over other women because she apparently had an exceptionally attractive portrait. All he knew about her was that she came from a wealthy family and that the match carried the support of his nobles. Luisa predicted that the whole affair wouldn’t last very long. They never did.

She stretched languidly. At least last night had been fun. She turned to look at Rose and see about the possibility of a repeat performance, only to see that she wasn’t there. She looked around the room- there was no sign of her anywhere. _She must have already left_ , Luisa thought dejectedly. She’d really liked the other woman- she’d appreciated how non-judgemental and easy to talk to she’d been, and _damn_ , she was also fantastic in bed- and had hoped that they could turn the spark between them in to something deeper.

Evidently not.

Luisa felt disappointment coil I her stomach and allowed herself to indulge it for a few moments, before pushing it aside and rising reluctantly from the bed. She had a wedding to get ready for.

* * *

 

Luisa returned to the palace as quickly as she was able and tried to discreetly make her way back to her room in order to get ready. Discretion, however, was difficult to maintain in a palace full of people frantically preparing for a royal wedding. She was just beginning to think that she could use the hustle and bustle to her advantage when she heard a sharp, frustrated exhale from somewhere behind her.

She turned, and came face-to-face with the irate face of her former governess. Mrs. Bradley had been employed as her tutor and general companion since before she could remember. Luisa was now too old to require a governess, but her father had rewarded the older woman’s years of service with a more permanent position in the running of the household. It had been part of Mrs. Bradley’s job to assign punishments to both Rafael and Luisa, and it was a habit that she was having a hard time shaking now that they were older. In the past, the expression that the woman was currently wearing had never meant anything good. _Shit._

‘Where on earth have you been, Luisa? You know that this is an important day, yet this morning I went up to your chambers to help you get ready only to find them entirely empty- the bed hadn’t even been slept in! What were you doing all night?’

Mrs. Bradley had always possessed the uncanny ability to make her squirm. Any pre-prepared excuse she may have had flew from her mind. ‘I was just… out. I lost track of the time, that’s all.’

The other woman looked at her disbelievingly. ‘Mmmhhmmm. Of course you did.’ She sighed. ‘I don’t have time for this, today of all days. Just go and get ready! You’re going to be late!’

* * *

 

Luisa entered the cathedral at just about the last possible moment. It was ostentatiously decorated to an almost ridiculous degree- many of the ornamentations were handmade out of expensive materials, and she shuddered to think of the time some servant would have had to invest in them to make sure they were perfectly crafted and arranged. It was clear that her father wanted to display his wealth and power for all the dignitaries from other kingdoms to see. She took her seat at the front, in the designated area for the royal family. Rafael was beside her, and looked as reluctant to be here as she did.

Rafael shot her a teasing smirk and whispered, ‘I wasn’t particularly happy to come either, but at least I got here on time. Dad’s going to kill you.’

Luisa shoved him playfully, but spared a glance to the top of the church where her father was standing, anxious to begin the ceremonies. True to her brother’s words, he didn’t look happy and was glaring pointedly at Luisa. Emilio was often quick to forgive his daughter’s extravagances, but she felt that it may not happen so easily this time. _Meh_ , she thought, _I’ll deal with that obstacle when I come across it._

She ran a hand down her hastily changed into dress, smoothing out some of the wrinkles that had formed in transit- one upside of the whole affair was that she got to wear this particular gem. The dress was a deep red, with flowing skirts and a lace bodice with- somewhat ironically, considering last night, she thought- roses embroidered on it.

Not long after she sat down, the wedding march began to play and all attendees stood respectfully. The doors opened dramatically, and the bride walked down the aisle. Her dress was beautiful- white, of course, and clung to her figure wonderfully. There was something… familiar about it, come to think of it. Luisa tried to discern some of the other woman’s facial features, but they were obscured by a heavy veil. She clutched a bouquet of red roses in her hands.

The Bishop began to read the traditional wedding greeting as the woman reached the top of the aisle. Her father pulled back her veil and smiled. Evidently, the woman was attractive. Irritatingly, Luisa’s seat was positioned so that she was facing Emilio, not his bride. She craned her head to get a better look and… no. No. It couldn’t be. Luisa reeled back in shock, and let out a strangled gasp, earning her some disapproving glares from the people around her. Rafael chuckled.

Luisa felt that her surprise was warranted, as underneath the veil was a very familiar face- one that she’d become intimately familiar with the night before.

It was Rose.

* * *

 

 _This can’t be happening right now_ , she thought. _The woman that I met randomly in a bar then slept with can’t be my new step-mother. That kind of shit doesn’t happen to people_.

Rafael noticed her distress, eyed her strangely for a few moments and whispered, ‘Lu, get a grip. I know she’s hot, but she’s our step-mother now. Focus.

Luisa nodded mutely. ‘Yeah, right. Focus. I can do that.’ She couldn’t do that. Not when the one night stand that she felt oddly drawn to was about to marry her father. _Fuck._

For her part, Rose had yet to notice Luisa. She was focusing on the ceremony, and the things she’d be forced to endure after it was over. _It’ll be worth it in the end_ , she said to herself. Over the past few weeks, that had become a mantra that she would repeat whenever her resolution to carry out her plans stealthily wavered. _The ends **will** justify the means_.

When he had finished his opening greeting, he extended a welcome to the guests. Rose made sure to smile at them, as a future queen hoping to usurp her husband’s throne should. It would pay to have the people on her side. He saved the King’s family for last, and she turned to extend the same smile to them as she had to everyone else, only to freeze when she caught sight of the King’s daughter.

It was Luisa.

Who apparently was her new step-daughter.

That was…unexpected. She couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked in that red dress, and almost smirked when she saw that it had roses emblazoned on it. How very apt. Rose stared at Luisa for several long seconds, only to break away when the Bishop cleared his throat irritably. She snapped her head back to the ceremony, mind still reeling. This wasn’t part of the plan.

Neither woman could properly focus on the ceremony after that. Rose schooled her features into a more neutral expression, fully aware of the large number of eyes currently on her. She forced herself to agree to the priests words, but was no longer able to view the service with the same icy calculation as she had been moments previously. Luisa allowed her shock to show longer than Rose had, but eventually also became conscious of the suspicious faces staring at her and coerced her mouth into what she hoped was a light, happy smile.

This became difficult to maintain the ceremony’s end when the Bishop prompted Emilio to kiss his new bride. He leaned in to do this eagerly, and Luisa felt a stab of jealousy hit her in the stomach and began to move upward, until she felt a lump form in her throat. She blinked rapidly to stop the tears from forming.

Rose was equally uncomfortable. The faint stubble on his face irritated her skin when he leaned in close, and his lips were hard- a sharp contrast to the soft, feminine features that she favoured. He took her hand then, and they began to lead the procession out of the church. She caught a quick glimpse of Luisa in the back of her eye; the other woman had risen from her seat and was about to follow the royal entourage to the celebration in the palace, a young man beside her whom Rose could only assume was her brother. She was going to have to be officially introduced to them eventually. That was going to be awkward, to say the least.

* * *

 

Luisa followed her father and Rose along with the rest of the royal procession into the great hall for the feast. The large room was even more lavishly decorated than the cathedral had been, as only the most prominent members of the court, along with the bride’s family, were invited to attend. It was an occasion for her father to show off his new wife and, perhaps more importantly, his power and wealth to the most influential families in the kingdom. Usually, Luisa used events like this as an excuse to drink inordinate amounts of alcohol. That had rarely ended well, and normally ended with Luisa tarnishing the family name in some way or another, at least according to Mrs. Bradley.

But she’d been _trying_ to do better. Every time that the voice in her head- which became louder the longer she went without alcohol- told her to drink, she’d been able to resist. It had been difficult, but she was managing it. She’d meant what she’d told Rose in the tavern- sober for 34 days and counting. It was her longest ever period of abstention, and she was proud of it.

The past hour or so had been a severe test of her resolve, however. She could see carafes of wine laid out on the ornate tables, just begging to be consumed.

She forced down the impulse for now, but knew that a long night was ahead of her.

Luisa and Rafael were seated at the royal high table, though mercifully no-where near Rose. It seemed like their father wanted to begin introducing her to his rivals early, like a particularly prized trophy.

Luisa tried to distract herself both with food and enthusiastic conversation with the man seated next to her. This was doomed to fail, as the shock of earlier had dimmed whatever appetite she may have previously worked up, and her neighbour’s words were dreadfully tedious. Despite her best efforts, Luisa glanced over at them several times throughout the course of the meal. More often than not, she caught the other woman doing the same thing to her, only to look away quickly whenever she would accidentally catch Luisa’s eye. She felt the same urge to drink again after each of these ill-advised exchanges.

After food had been served, the tables were cleared away to allow for dancing and give attendees more space to interact with each other. Mercifully, Emilio was no dancer so Luisa would not be subjected to watching their first dance as a couple. He’d learned his lesson about that after his third wedding. And thank God for that, she mused. She didn’t think that she’d be able to handle watching them swaying together to the music, knowing all the while that she wanted to be the one doing that with Rose

A servant tapped Luisa on her shoulder, and whispered, ‘His majesty requests the presence of your highness and the Prince Rafael. I believe he wishes to introduce you to your new stepmother.’

She thanked the servant, and sighed loudly. This wasn’t going to be fun. She began running through a list of excuses in her head, ranging from fairly mundane to truly bizarre. _I wonder if anyone will fall for it if I pretend to have been, I don’t know, poisoned or something?_ Rafael interrupted her mental process, and muttered, ‘C’mon, we better get this over with. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can leave and go find some real fun.’

Not having a fun night wasn’t exactly at the top of Luisa’s list of concerns right now, but she figured that Rafael was at least partially right. She couldn’t avoid this forever. She reluctantly discarded her half-formed escape attempts- some of which were seeming rather appealing- and they both rose from their seats, walking in the direction of their father. He currently had an arm resting on Rose’s back and was engaged in discussion with a circle of acquaintances. When he noticed them approaching, he made his excuses to the men. ‘Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse us, we have some family business to attend to.’

The men obeyed their king, and nodded respectfully to the crown prince and princess before departing.

‘Rafael, Luisa. This is lovely young woman is Rose. My new wife, as I’m sure you’ve gathered, and this nations’ new queen.’ He then caught sight of another powerful associate that he had yet to speak to. He turned to Rose and gave her a peck of the cheek. ‘I must go and speak with the good Duke. I will return shortly.’

‘Of course, darling,’ responded the redhead dutifully.

Rose, her mask of civility perfectly honed after hours of pointless small-talk with stupid, arrogant men, nodded kindly to Rafael and flashed him a radiant smile. Rafael inclined his head politely in response, but seemed generally disinterested. ‘A pleasure to meet you,’ he murmured. As soon as Emilio was well and truly out of earshot, he made his excuses and left, leaving Luisa alone with Rose.

Rose forced the same mask that she had worn with Rafael to remain on her face a few moments longer, and said to Luisa in as even a tone as she could manage- for the benefit of anyone who may have been listening in- ‘It’s been such a busy day, and I’ve heard ever so much about the famous hedge maze of the Solanos. I was wondering if you would be kind enough to show me?’

Luisa was aware that people had noticed her odd behaviour in the cathedral, and that there were several pairs of curious eyes upon them as they spoke. Causing a scene in public would bring attention neither of them could afford. Therefore, she wrestled her expression into an imitation of Rose’s finely tuned mask, and said, as gracefully as she could manage, ‘I would be delighted.’

* * *

 

The Solano hedged maze was famous, or perhaps infamous was a better term. It stood at over 12 feet tall, and extended for miles in each direction. There were several twists and turns, as well as multiple dead ends. It wasn’t unheard of for a hapless visitor to drunkenly run into it during a night of debauchery only to stumble out more than a day later, hungover and deeply confused.

Luisa had grown up running around it, gleefully exploring its mysteries until she knew it like the back of her hand. Some of her fondest childhood memories involved hiding in it from various tutors or governesses, cheerfully laughing as they tore around it looking for their troublesome charge.

There was a rather romantic fountain in the centre of the maze- a depiction of cupid, she believed. He was holding a bow, and the arrow was tipped with a heart. There was an inscription at its base: “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is wing’d Cupid painted blind.” It was supposed to symbolise hidden love, or something of the sort. Luisa had been hiding in the maze when she was meant to receive that lesson. It was here that Luisa guided Rose, as few knew their way around the labyrinth well enough to follow. She figured that they would be safe from prying eyes.

 

She turned to Rose, her apathetic mask falling away as she did so. ‘Do you want to explain what the hell is going on? You’re _married_ to my _father?_ ’

‘ _You’re_ the crown princess?’ She retorted. It seemed that both of them had been hiding things the previous night. Rose had been just as blindsided as Luisa when she set eyes on the other woman at the wedding. It had almost derailed her plans, and Rose was a calculating woman, inclined to lashing out whenever that happened.

‘Most people there knew that already. They’d never tell- I assumed you also knew. If you were going to marry my father the next day, what were you doing there in the first place?’

Rose considered the other woman’s question. There was no way that she could tell her the truth- last night aside, they didn’t _really_ know each other. Rose had associates that she’d known for years that weren’t aware of the true extent of her plan.

‘My family were pushing for the union. They wanted the prestige that making their daughter queen would bring.’ She allowed a trace of bitterness to enter her voice, to punctuate her statement. It wasn’t entirely untrue- her family had been happy about the match, and had encouraged her to go for it- but **she** had put the cogs in place that allowed it to happen.

‘I’ve always been exclusively attracted to women, and I guess I wanted to be with one one last time. I’m sorry.’ That was also true, to an extent, though she didn’t intend for the previous night to be the real last time.

Luisa still looked angry. ‘So what, I’m just supposed to forget that last night ever happened? See you every day, and pretend that we’ve never spent the night together? I don’t think I can do that, Rose.’

A strange impulse seized Rose then. Later, she would claim that it had been a momentary act of madness. She looked around, checking whether or not they were truly alone. When she had determined that they were, she stepped in closer to Luisa and raised a hand and brushed an errant strand of dark hair out of her face, running a hand down her smooth cheek as she did so.

‘Only if you want to.’

The contact sent a thrill through Luisa’s body. She closed the distance between them, and connected her lips to Rose’s in a searing kiss.

Fireworks danced in the sky above them, but Rose and Luisa paid them no heed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's one scene here that you may find gruesome.  
> Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter! This isn't going to be a long fic, one maybe 2 chapters after this at most.  
> Hope you enjoy this one!

Time passed, as it was wont to do. Autumn turned to winter, which later transformed into spring. Snow was beginning to melt, animals were emerging from their hibernations and there was a general sense of renewal in the air.  Rose and Luisa had fallen into a comfortable routine; it wasn’t perfect- they had come close to being caught several times- but it was _theirs_.

Currently, they were tangled together on the large bed in the Queen’s chambers. The luxurious silk sheets were significantly different to rough, scratchy ones of the tavern, but their encounters normally ended in the same way- with one of them quietly leaving before someone came looking for the other. Luisa hoped that that could change some time in the future, but for now was content to search around the room for her breeches in preparation for leaving.

They’d learned pretty early on that it was an easy climb between their respective chambers, but it could be pretty difficult to do in dresses. Luisa used this as an excuse to bust out her sizeable collection of breeches, of which Rose was highly appreciative.

She pressed a kiss to the redhead’s lips, and whispered cheekily, ‘Are you coming down to the joust this afternoon? I have a surprise for you.’

‘I think I could be persuaded to make an appearance. What’s this surprise?’

‘If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it? You’re just going to have to wait and see. But I promise that you’ll love it. Just keep an open mind, okay?’

Luisa continued dressing, then climbed out of the window, blowing Rose an air kiss as she left. Rose watched her go fondly. She’d become more attached to the other woman than she’d originally   intended. It was making carrying out her plans more difficult than they were supposed to be, as she was discovering that she didn’t want to do anything that would harm her. She’d never felt this way about another person before- she’d always viewed other people as tools to be used or obstacles to be removed.

But not Luisa. It was… disconcerting. She wasn’t sure how to go about dealing with this unprecedented- though admittedly not entirely unwanted-distraction.

Yet she knew she couldn’t change her plans now- they had taken years to put in place; years of scheming and manipulating, of hard work and toil, deceit and treachery. Rose had lost count of the lives she had ruined, friends she had betrayed and enemies she had “taken care of”, in order to get where she was now. And finally, the last of her plans were almost ready to be put into motion. She’d wanted this her whole life, and **would** get it. No matter what was standing in her way.

* * *

Rose took her time getting dressed that morning. This would be a day that would go down in history books, and she wanted to look her best for it. She eventually settled on a purple dress, as befitting her station as queen. It was long and flowing, and had silver jewels encrusted in the collar, which matched her crown quite nicely.

She made her way down to the field in which the joust was being held, making sure to stop and talk to assorted courtiers as she did so. She loathed making false pleasantries with these inane fools- they expected a queen who was graceful and accomplished in feminine arts, and were pleased when she met these minimum requirements. They didn’t care that she was so much more.

They would realise the error of their ways when her plans came into fruition- they all would.

Stands had been erected in the grounds for spectators to watch from, with thrones in the middle for the royal family to sit on. Emilio was already seated on a large throne in the centre- he planned to joust today, and would rise to get ready later on in the tournament. He didn’t usually participate in the competition, but Rose had managed to twist his arm. It was integral to her plan that he would do so, after all. Rafael was sitting beside him, and looked petulant about something. Likely something to do with the fact that his father wouldn’t let him joust today. Luisa, however, was strangely absent. Rose began to grow suspicious- what was she planning? Knowing Luisa, it could be anything.

She took her seat beside Emilio just as the joust was about to begin. The trumpeter announced the competitors of the first bout- some pompous Duke from a far corner of the kingdom, Rose vaguely remembers talking to him at the wedding. He rode down the aisle in an overly elaborate suit of armour with a horse that was clearly more for showmanship than practical use- she had to try very hard not to roll her eyes.

His opposition was an anonymous knight. He rode a fine horse, less showy than the other man’s but still of a fine breed. It seemed more practical. There was something vaguely familiar about him- but his armour was unadorned and his face was obscured by a large helmet, so Rose couldn’t tell what it was.

The anonymous knight rode towards Rose, and lowered his lance in her direction. He was asking for the favour of his queen; a gesture that demonstrated respect but could also be construed as one of flirtation, as knights often asked their lovers to grant it to them. This was dangerous territory. Rose glanced towards Emilio to gauge his reaction. He was smiling indulgently, and Rose relaxed marginally. She got up from her seat, took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around the strange knight’s lance, mustering up a gracious smile as she did so. The crowd cheered uproariously.

The joust began. Both knights were remarkably skilled, and each scored several points in the opening minutes. Rose couldn’t help but cheer for the mysterious stranger, despite her uncertainty about his identity. Both knights prepared for another charge, and spurred their horses into action. At the last second before collision, the anonymous knight tilted his lance to just the right angle and his competitor was thrown off his horse. The bout was won.

The stranger leapt from his horse, and extended a hand to his competitor to help him up. The other man took it gratefully, and congratulated the stranger on a match fairly won.

The anonymous stranger then approached the royal stand.

‘Would the victorious knight be so kind as to reveal his identity, so that he may claim his prize?’

The knight nodded, and raised a hand to remove his helmet. Long, flowing brown hair tumbled out of it, and the crowd gasped. For good reason- it was Luisa.

Rose had never felt more attracted to anyone than she did in that moment.

Emilio looked at his daughter fondly, as if he was used to her eccentricities. ‘And what boon could the victor possibly ask of me?’

There was a playful glint in her eye. ‘I would ask for a kiss from the queen, as she was so kind to grant me her favour.’

Rose entered panic mode. _Why would she make such a public declaration, with her father and the entire court right in front of her? What on earth was she thinking? This could ruin us!_

But Emilio simply laughed, and said, ‘It gladdens my heart that the two of you are such good friends, I give my permission.’

Luisa’s grin broadens, and she approaches Rose. She takes her face in her hands, and plants a searing kiss onto her lips. It is short and sweet, and Rose had to admit that she took considerable pleasure in showing affection so publicly, even if the spectators had no idea how deep their relationship ran.

Luisa pulled away quickly. She wasn’t stupid- she knew that a public kiss such as this couldn’t last very long, else people would get suspicious. Following their King’s cue, the audience applauded, albeit somewhat confusedly.

She smiled slowly at a still dazed-looking Rose, then sat in the vacant chair beside her to watch the rest of the competition.

* * *

 

Rose was having a hard time concentrating on the rest of the joust- Luisa, with her loose, flowing hair and full suit of armour was very distracting. This wasn’t a good thing. She had plans to carry out, and needed to keep a clear head. The other woman was smirking beside her. She knew exactly the effect that she was having on her lover, and was delighting in her ability to make the normally composed queen squirm.

As the bouts were drawing to a close, Emilio rose from his throne in order to get ready for his own round. Rose stared at the now unoccupied chair. It would soon be hers. She then glanced towards the woman sitting beside her and an odd swell of… something coiled in her stomach.

She almost felt guilty for what was about to happen.

Before too long, Emilio rode out onto the field, dressed in the full regalia of the Solano royal house. The crowd cheered vigourously for their king, and he reveled in their applause, clearly expecting to win as clear a victory as he would have in his youth. Like his daughter before him, he rode over to Rose and asked for her favour. Unlike most of his advances, she granted it easily- it helped to know that this would be the last time.

His competitor rode out then, and the applause given to him was much more muted- it would not do for it to seem like people were cheering for their King to lose. He was not well known in the court, and wore a shabby suit of armour indicative of his lower social standing. Rose had chosen him for exactly those reasons.

The two men began charging at each other, lances raised. Emilio was a skilled rider, if a little out of practice. His competitor seemingly did not have the same prowess, and Emilio scored several easy points.

Just when it seemed that the King was about to win his bout, the two men pulled apart and readied themselves for one last charge. The man raced clumsily towards the king- too fast. He was going too fast. To members of the audience, it appeared that a humiliated, low-ranking noble was trying to win back his besmirched honour by launching a last, desperate rush. Rose knew better, and made a concentrated effort to keep herself from smiling triumphantly. Luisa realised what was about to happen and shrieked a warning, but it was too late. At the last moment, he seemed to stumble and almost fall off his horse. He moved his had awkwardly to right himself, but this resulted in the hand that was holding the lance to move upwards- right into the eyepiece of Emilio’s visor.

The King was thrown from his horse, and reaction of the crowd was instantaneous. Many screamed in horror, others fainted and some simply sat- blank looks on their faces, too stunned to react. The force of the collision had caused the lance to splinter, and parts of it were currently protruding grotesquely out of Emilio’s eye. Luisa and Rafael leapt from the stands and ran to their father, with Rose following closely behind. She felt a stab of guilt when she saw the distress on Luisa’s face, but pushed it aside. This was what she’d wanted.

She forced as much shock and hysteria into her voice and overall demeanour as she could muster- it was time to play the part of the soon-to-be grieving widow. It was essential that she did this correctly if she wanted her plans to succeed. ‘Someone get the medic,’ she screeched in the direction of the hapless crowd.

* * *

 

Rose, Luisa and Rafael gathered around Emilio in the dimly lit and hastily erected medical tent. The surgeons had laboured for hours, but the splinters that had pierced his eye would soon enter his brain, causing irreparable damage. There was nothing that they could do. All that was left now was to say good-bye.

He motioned for her to come closer. She took his hand, and ran a finger over the undamaged side of his face. ‘Yes, darling? What is it?’ She enquired, ensuring that her voice trembled with grief at seeing her _beloved_ husband reduced to such a state.

It was difficult for him to speak, but he managed to wheeze out a couple of words. ‘My Rose… I’m sorry… we got so little time together. There was… so much I wanted… to do with you. We could… have been…happy.  You…deserved…more.’ A fit of coughing interrupted him then. When it subsided, he continued on. ‘I need… you to look after Raf… and Luisa. They need… someone to…care for them.’

_I’m pretty sure that Luisa is older than I am_ , Rose thought, somewhat inappropriately. ‘Of course I will.’ She sealed her false promise with a kiss to his forehead, then moved to the side once again to allow his children to say their farewells.

Rafael approached his father sombrely. He was trying to contain his tears, to be the man that his father expected him to be. Rose could tell it was taking its’ toll on him. ‘Rafael…my son. You must be strong… you are the… man of… the house now. Look… after your sister. She will… take this hard… make sure she doesn’t… start drinking again. See that… Rose is… provided for.’

Rose had to supress a smirk at that. She’d be more than provided for, if everything went according to plan. Emilio’s expression softened as much as it was able to. ‘I am… proud of you. You will… make a fine King… and a fine man.’ Rafael found it hard to contain his emotions at that point, and turned his face away, giving his sister chance to speak with him.

Luisa had tears streaming down her face, and threw her arms around her father’s middle. He raised a shaky hand to smooth her hair. It was becoming increasingly hard for him to talk. ‘Hush…my child… my precious... girl. Dry… your tears. You… are a strong… woman and you… will survive… without me,’ he wheezed.

Rose was surprised to feel the beginnings of tears stinging her eyes. She’d been trying to summon them for the sake of her performance for a while now, but her body hadn’t been willing to co-operate. Seeing Luisa bid farewell to her father, however, had unearthed some surprising and unwanted emotions in her. Could these tears be _genuine_? She didn’t cry for other people- ever. She’d learned long ago that genuine tears never accomplished anything. What was the other woman doing to her?

Luisa raised her head, and offered her father a brave smile. ‘I’ll do my best, father.’ She stood up then, dazedly made her way over to Rose, and threw her arms around the other woman. Rose stiffened momentarily, but then re-considered. No-one would question a step-mother comforting her step-daughter in a time such as this. She wrapped her arms around her lover while the other woman sobbed quietly into her chest.

* * *

 

Emilio didn’t linger long after he had said his goodbyes. He slipped away quietly, surrounded by his children and a handful of trusted courtiers. A lot of work went into the preparation of a corpse for burial, and that was particularly true of a King. Rose thought it would be best to leave them to it, and she began escorting a numb Luisa to her chambers.

The brunette was still wearing her armour by the time that they reached her room. Her joust felt like it had happened a lifetime ago, though in reality it had only occurred perhaps an hour before her father’s fatal accident. She turned to Rose and asked, very quietly, ‘Could you help me get out of this?’

Her voice lacked any trace of her trademark flirtatiousness, and instead just sounded… empty, hollow. She had never appeared more small or vulnerable to Rose than she had in that moment.

Rose complied with her wishes, though with some difficulty. Removing armour wasn’t something that she was overly familiar with, but they managed it between the two of them. Luisa was eventually left standing in light underclothes- a simple white shirt and thin breeches. Rose took her hands and lead her towards the bed.

Fewer people came and went through Luisa’s chambers; they were not viewed as a public space in the same way that the Queens were. Rose could therefore afford to spend the entire night with Luisa as there would be fewer interruptions. She felt that Luisa needed it right now.

Rose stripped down to her shift and joined Luisa on the bed. She enveloped the other woman in her arms and ran a comforting hand down her back as she quietly sobbed. It was a heart-breaking sound, one Rose desperately wanted to make better.

The sobs eventually lessened, and Rose thought it would be appropriate to say something now. She didn’t have a lot of experience comforting people, and didn’t want to do anything that would make the other woman feel worse.

She knew Luisa, though. She didn’t think she’d ever known anyone so well or so intimately and still liked them afterwards. Luisa thrived off human interaction- she loved talking to people, and often needed to do so in order to process things. It was something that Rose, who spent so much time living in her own head- planning, scheming, manoeuvring- couldn’t relate to, but was able to understand.

‘Do you think you’re ready to talk about it?’

Luisa continued to clutch onto Rose, but nodded. ‘I just… can’t believe that just happened. He was laughing an interacting with the crowd one minute, then he was just… gone the next. And I’m never going to see him again. I’m never going to speak to my father again, or hear him laugh, or hell - he’s never going to reprimand my for my drinking or unladylike behaviour again. He won’t ever do anything again, because he’s just gone. My father is gone and he’s never coming back, and oh my god I’m an orphan now. I can’t be an orphan, I don’t know how to be an orphan, I can’t be alone like this… how am I supposed t- What am I going to do, I-, I just, I-’

Rose continued to soothe a still weeping Luisa. The other woman was rapidly becoming incoherent - it was hard to decipher words between the sobs. Rose began to feel another harsh stab of guilt. It wasn’t that she felt guilty for arranging Emilio’s death - Rose didn’t think she was particularly capable of that - but she did regret hurting Luisa, and seeing her in such a state was bringing up uncomfortable emotions. She began murmuring apologies into the other woman’s hair, almost subconsciously. Rose had never apologised for anything in her life- at least not genuinely - but this time she thought that she might mean it. Regardless, Luisa was currently too distressed to take much notice of what her lover was saying.

Luisa’s sobs eventually subsided, though she still continued to cling to Rose. It was comforting, being in the other woman’s arms. Here, she didn’t have to be the perfect princess that everyone expected her to be. She knew that eventually she’d have to get up and face the sympathetic stares of the rest of the court, but for now, she allowed herself to lie back and eventually fell into an uneasy sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new ruler is crowned, Rafael grows suspicious and things take a dramatic turn for the worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This is where the Pride part of the prompt comes in.   
> -This chapter is quite dark, but I promise that I'm going to try to create a happy ending for them. It is a Disney AU, after all.  
> -Warning for alcoholism, and general shitty behaviour on Rose's part.   
> -Please feel free to leave a comment, I love hearing from you guys!

The royal family were given one week as an official mourning period for King Emilio. During this time, Luisa oscillated wildly through the five stages of grief. Some mornings, she’d wake up and just -forget. She’d stretch leisurely, and think of calling in to visit her father before he became preoccupied with whatever kingly duties were demanding his attention, but then the memories of the previous couple of days would come charging back in and she’d remember that she couldn’t do that anymore.

Her response to this realisation ricocheted between anger and depression – sometimes she’d get angry, an all-consuming anger that she could feel boiling in her stomach at an almost-constant rate because _it was all just so unfair_. It was unfair that he was taken from her, from Rafael, from the Kingdom so quickly. This anger frightened Luisa – as a general rule, she was a fairly even-tempered person, prone to fits of melancholy rather than rage.

Other times, the crushing sadness she felt would overwhelm her, and she found it hard to rise from her bed. When she did, her energy reserves were depleted quickly and even the simplest of tasks would tire her. She’d tried to go riding one day in an attempt to clear her head of the fog that seemed to be surrounding it, only to return a little over an hour later absolutely exhausted.

 Through all of this, Rose remained by her side. She’d listen to her rants, hold her while she cried and curl up next to her in bed at night. It didn’t erase Luisa’s suffering, or make it better in any way – but it made it bearable. It made her feel like she had someone that was always there for her, that would always listen to her. It stopped her from reaching for a bottle as the only reprieve from her problems.

But the mourning period was over, and it was time to select a new monarch. In what had once been King Emilio’s domain, as had been the ritual for centuries, the next ruler could theoretically be selected from any member of the royal family. It did not have to be the oldest member, or even the male heir. Of course, the eldest male heir was usually the one chosen, but that was beside the point. The decision was left entirely in the hands of the royal parliament, which was why Luisa, Rose and Rafael found themselves sitting in that ancient building exactly one week after Emilio’s death.

As the only male child, Rafael was the favoured candidate to assume the throne, but his age and lack of political experience meant that Luisa was not entirely out of the running. There was precedent for the consort of the former monarch taking the throne in times of need - though it had not happened in centuries – which was the reason that Rafael and Luisa assumed that Rose was extended a polite invitation.

The royal parliament was composed of representatives of the kingdom’s noble families, as well as some lawyers and exceptionally wealthy merchants, and all were entitled to cast their votes for either of the three candidates. The High Judge bade everyone welcome to this sad but regrettably necessary occasion, gave a speech commemorating the achievements of the former King, then invited everyone present to announce their choice of candidate.

It was a slow process, and initially went exactly as expected – Rafael secured the most votes, with Luisa closely behind and a few token votes thrown Rose’s way. Luisa began to slip into a daydream when, all of a sudden, it began to change.

Rose started to attain more and more votes, and Rafael and Luisa watched on in shock as the redhead quickly surpassed Luisa in votes and began edging closer to Rafael’s number. Rose was careful to keep her face blank throughout the proceedings, though internally she was alight with triumph  - years of careful planning and consideration, bribes and manipulation, backroom politicking and quiet assassinations – were coming into use, as her ultimate ambition came closer and closer to her grasp.

After every member of parliament had voted, the High Judge announced without the slightest trace of surprise in his booming voice, ‘The King is dead. Long live the Queen.’ This was followed by a blast of trumpets as Rose, the new Queen of the realm, rose from her seat and walked elegantly towards the throne in the centre of the room.

As she was handed the crown and sceptre and was blessed with the coronation oils, Rose allowed herself a brief smile in triumph. This was it – her moment had come. She turned, and addressed her subjects for the first time. There was still a need to appear the humble and doting bride, of course - at least until her power was fully consolidated – but it no longer grated on her nerves to the same degree. The greatest step was out of the way, and now she was queen. She allowed her smile to dim, and felt her mask of courtesy slide back into place.

‘My Lords, I thank you most humbly for bestowing this great honour upon me. I promise to make myself worthy of it, and be the Queen that this proud nation deserves.’

Rose continued talking, giving Rafael and Luisa time to process this unexpected turn of events. It had shocked Luisa. She hadn’t wanted to be Queen herself - she couldn’t stand the idea of having that many eyes on her all the time. It was hard enough to sneak away to the bar or other places of a less-than-reputable nature as the crown princess, as the Queen it would be next to impossible. She didn’t envy Rose’s position, but nevertheless had been shocked by her lover’s election. It was a rare occurrence, after all.

They’d gotten to know each other well throughout the duration of their affair, and Luisa realised that Rose was an ambitious woman. She’d seen the smile that Rose had briefly displayed before schooling her features into something more neutral. She knew that she would enjoy employing her brilliant mind in fixing the problems of the realm, and was genuinely happy for her. They’d have to be more discreet in the future, but that was something Luisa could live with.

Rafael, on the other hand, was suspicious. He’d never had a particular desire for the throne – it was a lot of responsibility, and at this stage of his life, he’d rather focus on his own pleasures than take on the needs of an entire country – but he’d grown up expecting and being told that it would one day be his. To see a virtual stranger claim something that rightfully should have been his was jarring. And it wasn’t just to him that Rose was a complete stranger – she’d arrived here only a few short months ago, how did she gain enough sway in that time to win over so many to her side? She’d been spending most of her time lately with Luisa, consoling her over the death of her father – about which, come to think of it, Rose hadn’t been all that broken up about. None of it made much sense.

As soon as the ceremony ended, Rose was mobbed by subjects eager to ingratiate themselves with the beautiful new Queen. Rafael and Luisa left the building together, and he thought it best to bring his suspicions to his sister. He looked around him, making sure that they were truly alone, before whispering, ‘Lu? I need a word.’

‘Sure. That was pretty surprising, right? I think it might just work out for the best, though.’

‘That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. What the hell was that? A woman who’s been in the kingdom all of five minutes turns up, father dies, then she’s suddenly got enough support to be made Queen? I don’t buy it. Something’s got to be going on.’

‘What are you saying, Raf?’ Asked Lusia, cautiously. She didn’t like what he was implying.

‘I think that she had to have been planning this for a long time. It just isn’t possible for her to have scoured up the support otherwise, especially given all the time she seemed to have spent with you lately. And if she planned that then… I think she had something to do with our father’s death.’

Luisa rejected his argument on pure instinct. There was no way Rose, her Rose, could have been involved in something like that. She would never do that, not to her. ‘It was an accident, Raf. His death was an accident. They happen all the time in jousting, you know that. Besides, Rose may be ambitious, I’ll concede that – maybe she went around canvassing when we weren’t around, who knows – but she’s not a killer. She wouldn’t do that, she loves-’ _Me_ , she was about to say, but then thought better of it.

‘Dad? You can’t seriously be suggesting that. You’re the one that’s been around her this past week, and even before that, really. I don’t remember her needing much consoling this past week - she didn’t care about him in the slightest. Did you see her smiling in there? Come on, Lu, what is this blindspot you have towards her?’

Luisa froze then, unsure of what to say. ‘She’s just… been a really great step-mother?’ She winced, hearing the insincerity in her own voice, but she’d started that lie now, and had to run with it. ‘She’s really been here for me this past week, and she really has feelings for m-us. Uh, motherly feelings, obviously.’

Rafael looked at her strangely then, and sighed. ‘Okay… whatever. But have you really had no reason to be even the smallest bit suspicious of her, even just a little?’

Luisa was about to bite out an automatic no, but images kept coming to her. It was as if her mind was trying to tell her something. She remembered Rose’s triumphant smile at the coronation, the way that she’d sat forward in her seat during his joust – as if she’d known something would happen, the apologies that she’d murmured into her hair the night of his death. Luisa remained silent, refusing to give voice to these new fears.

Rafael saw the conflict on her face and his expression softened. ‘I’m going to look into this, discreetly. I know you won’t want anything to do with the investigation, but I’ll let you know what I find. Luisa – just be careful, okay?’

They parted ways after that, Rafael filled with a sense of purpose that he had been lacking, and Luisa with a head buzzing with new confusions.

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks, Rafael began tentatively investigating his former step-mother - and now reigning monarch’s – movements, both prior to and during her time at court, paying particular attention to the days in the lead up to Emilio’s death. He did this with the assistance of his long-term friend -  and rising star in the royal guard – Michael Cordero Jr. Together, they re-traced her steps and discreetly interviewed people that they believed could have been accomplices.

True to his word, Rafael did not inform Luisa of developments in his investigation. She returned to Rose’s side, her head filled with niggling, persistent doubts that were difficult to ignore. For the first few days, she’d analyse every movement, every turn of phrase, searching for confirmation of either guilt or innocence. This bore little fruit, and she quickly grew tired of the constant suspicion. Luisa was quick to trust, and that attitude of constant vigilance did not come easily to her.

So she’d made a conscious choice to relent, to enjoy the time that she had with Rose -  at least until Rafael came to her with the findings of his investigation.

And there was a lot to enjoy. Rose was revelling in being Queen – she threw herself into the challenges it presented with a single-minded determination that achieved admirable results. _That doesn’t necessarily mean she did anything wrong_ , Luisa thought desperately, _she’s always been ambitious, you knew this_!

Rose also enjoyed the power that it gave her – one night, Luisa had jestingly called her “your majesty” in bed, and instead of taking it as the joke she’d intended, Rose had stared at her with an intense hunger in her eyes before throwing her back onto the bed and ravishing her thoroughly.

Luisa was still smiling at the memory when she’d heard a knock on her door. This in itself was unusual – Rose normally let herself in, and rarely used the main entrance anyway. Any servants that entered the room typically did so when she was out of it. She frowned slightly, before raising her voice and asking, ‘Who is it?’

‘It’s me.’ Replied a familiar, masculine voice – Raf. She let out a breath, her anxiety somehow both increasing and decreasing at the same time – she now knew who the unexpected visitor was, but she was also aware of the reason for his call.

‘Come in,’ she uttered, in a voice that wavered ever so slightly. Rafael entered immediately, excitement written plainly over his face.

The sinking feeling in her stomach that had lessened somewhat over the past few days reared its’ ugly head once more, and she knew then that she did not want to hear the result of his inquiry.

‘I’ve found something! It took a while, but Michael and I did it. We got her! Luisa, we have solid proof that Rose was involved in our father’s death. Michael’s looking into some last leads now, but once that’s cleared up we can present it to the parliament and she’ll be gone for good.’

Rafael’s explanation continued for some time. He seemed to be unable to stop speaking, high off the thrill of victory, of being proven right. Beside him, Luisa’s world was quietly falling apart.

She closed her eyes, and willed the tears not to fall. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She just couldn’t reconcile this woman that Rafael was describing with the woman that had held her while she cried and mourned her father’s death. They couldn’t be the same person – they just couldn’t.

‘-and the one of us will be crowned after the execution.’

Luisa’s head snapped up at his last sentence. She imagined Rose, held down over an executioner’s block while a dark figure stood over her holding a razor-sharp axe, and almost vomited. However confused and betrayed she might feel right now, she couldn’t allow that to happen.

‘Stop.’ Rafael ceased speaking mid-tangent, and looked at her confusedly, as if he couldn’t possibly imagine why any of this would be affecting his sister.

‘Lu? What’s wrong? I’ve caught the monster responsible for our father’s death!’

Luisa bit her lip, and took a shaky breath. ‘Just… before you do anything, just let me talk to her, please.’

Still not getting it, Rafael replied, ‘Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. You confront her, and I’ll go see where Michael is with that evidence. Good plan.’ He patted Luisa on the arm as if in congratulations, before leaving the room as quickly as he entered it.

When the door closed, Luisa fell against it and slid slowly down onto the floor, head in her hands and breathing deeply. This was all too much. Rose killed her father, and Luisa could think of no words that would properly express the magnitude of the betrayal that she was feeling. There was a pain in her chest, as if someone had taken a knife and stabbed her through the heart.

And now Rose – the woman who had caused this pain, but also the woman who had made her happier than she could ever remember being in her life – was about to be executed, at least if Rafael got his way.

_Fuck, I can’t let that happen_. Luisa wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to trust Rose again, but she also knew that she couldn’t see her have her head removed. If she went to her now, maybe she could convince her to go, to run away. Luisa wasn’t sure what she’d do with herself if the other woman left– she’d gotten used to the idea of playing the secret consort to the queen, and didn’t see a place for herself in the new court that Rafael promised. She’d become a relic, a memory of a bygone age. But she didn’t see anything else that could be done – the future that she’d imagined with Rose had been ripped from underneath her, and now she had to go and prevent her from being killed.

She stood up, and swiped viciously at her face, trying to remove the tears that seemed permanently fixed there, and prepared herself to go and confront Rose.

* * *

 

It was difficult, being back in these chambers when she knew the truth of what Rose had done. She had so many happy memories here – memories of lazy mornings, afternoons, whenever they could steal away – but they seemed… tainted now. She wanted to turn back the clock, to go back to those simpler days when their greatest worry was getting caught cheating. It all seemed so impossible now.

Rose was currently sitting at the vanity, dressed in a robe and brushing out her hair. She’d always taken great pride in it, and made sure to reserve time in her day for its’ maintenance.  Luisa always enjoyed watching her do it, marvelling at the domesticity of it all. Now, it only made what was about to happen more difficult.

Upon hearing someone enter her quarters, Rose put the brush down and turned around, her expression hard. It softened when she saw Luisa. ‘You shouldn’t sneak up on me like that. I thought we’d agreed to wait to see each other again until tomorrow? You know people are getting suspicious about the amount of times we’ve been seen in each other’s company. Your brother has been particularly insufferable. Though that’s nothing new, I suppose.’ She paused then, and really looked at Luisa’s face, her concern growing. She moved closer to Luisa, putting a gently hand on her arm and reaching the other up to caress her face.  ‘You’ve been crying, what’s the matter?’

Luisa allowed herself to melt into the gesture for a moment, before pulling away abruptly. She could feel more tears falling down her face, and cursed her own weakness. _Why can’t I do this without breaking down,_ she thought angrily.

She pulled away roughly. ‘I know what you did, Rose.’

Those words were enough to stop Rose in her tracks. She could tell by the other woman’s broken stance that she wasn’t talking about some minor misdemeanour – she truly knew.

Rose had plans when she came to this kingdom, plans that had been in motion for years. That night in the tavern had been an indulgence, a fond memory to keep her going during what was bound to be a difficult relationship with Emilio. She’d never counted on Luisa, never imagined the effect that she’d have on her. She’d been more than surprised when she’d seen Luisa at the ceremony, but had figured that a quick and convenient affair could do no harm, provided they were careful. But then, gradually, her feelings had begun to change. That had been as much a surprise to Rose as it was for anyone – she’d never, not once, felt that way for another person before. But it had been…. Nice. More than that, if she was being truthful. Much more.

And now the spell was coming to an end. Rose tried, desperately, to keep it alive. ‘I don’t know what you mean. What have I done?’

‘Don’t,’ Luisa snapped, ‘don’t insult my intelligence. Everyone else does that, but not you. Never you.’ She took a deep breath, steadying herself. ‘I know you killed my father.’

Rose closed her eyes, thinking through her next move. Luisa was right – people constantly underestimated the other woman’s intelligence, or thought of some way to otherwise handle her, and she didn’t want to do the same. She saw no recourse but to tell the truth.

‘How did you find out?’

The question threw Luisa, and she answered on instinct. ‘Rafael… he was suspicious after the coronation. He started looking into it with a friend in the guard. They’re out there now, getting together the last shreds of evidence. What does it matter? How could you, Rose? You held me as I cried for my father, you saw what it did to me. How could you keep it a secret? How could you do it in the first place?’

‘I-,’ for perhaps the first time in her life, Rose had no response. She had no quick remark, no hastily prepared excuse, no careful manipulation. She knew that her plans would soon crumble around her – at least, they would if she didn’t act soon -  but in this very moment found it difficult to care. Luisa’s face was so distressed, her heartbreak written so clearly, that she could only say –

‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Luisa. I-’ Rose moved in closer, feeling a strange desire to give comfort, but was shoved away by Luisa.

Rose’s words affected her more than the other woman could realise. She was tempted, so tempted just to sink into her arms and forget what had happened. But she couldn’t – they had work to do. If she didn’t warn Rose now, she would die.

‘Stop. I won’t – I can’t hear it. Not right now. I need – nevermind. Look, Michael and Rafael are going to get evidence right now, then they’re going to present it to the parliament. They’ll execute you, Rose. However I might feel about you right now, that can’t happen. You have to go. Pack a bag, leave. Right now, before they come for you.’ She gulped then, a bizarre and probably stupid idea coming to her, because in that moment, Luisa was hurting more than she had ever been in her entire life. She was willing to do anything to make it _stop_ , even something potentially self-destructive.   ‘I could go with you. We could work on – whatever is still between us.’

Just for a moment, Rose allowed herself to picture the future that Luisa promised. They’d leave together, and it would be difficult at first. Luisa would resent her for a long time, but Rose knew that Luisa wasn’t built to house those feelings forever. She’d forgive her, if Rose felt true remorse. Which, she was now coming to realise, she did. Not for killing Emilio - she couldn’t bring herself to regret that – but she did regret the hurt that it caused Luisa. The other woman would be happy away from the castle – away from the prying eyes, the high expectations. They could be happy together.

It was a pretty dream, but still just a dream.

Rose forced herself out of this reverie, and started to hurriedly plan, only to fall short. It would be easy enough to pick off the guard and bury whatever evidence he had with him. She ought to do the same with Rafael, but she knew that that was something Luisa would never be able to forgive. _When did one person’s forgiveness become so important to me?_

And then there was Luisa herself. A year ago, she wouldn’t have hesitated to kill someone who challenged her in this way, who insisted she abandon her hard-won plans. She’d’ve slipped a knife through their ribs, or a fatal poison through their lips.

If it were anyone else stood in her way, she’d still have done that. But not to Luisa. So what could she do? Exile was an option. A risky one, but she could see no alternative. She wouldn’t let her whither in the castle dungeons.

Rose opened her mouth to tell her this. ‘I can’t. I’m sorry, Luisa. For everything. But I’ve worked too hard to have everything destroyed now. I can remove any threats that are posed to me with little difficulty. I’ll be safe, and I will continue to be Queen. It’s all I’ve ever worked towards, and something I intend to keep.’

Luisa took a step back, shocked by Rose’s words. She’d known that she was ambitious, that she’d been enjoying her newfound power – what woman wouldn’t?  - but she’d genuinely thought that they could have been happy together, eventually. Then, whatever sense of self-preservation she had left focused on what Rose had said about threats. Almost without her knowledge, she asked, ‘And what about me? Am I a threat to you?’

Rose answered without hesitation. ‘Yes. You know the truth, you’ve presumably heard some of the evidence against me. I can’t allow you to walk free amongst the court. I should kill you,’ Luisa blanched at that, the sting of betrayal growing with each word, ‘but I can’t. I know that I should, that you will always pose a threat to my reign, but I can’t.’

Rose seemed to be losing the rational tone that she’d started out with as she continued, ‘I can’t kill you, so go. Leave the palace, the kingdom, If you can.’ She gulped, dwelling on the consequences of what she was promising – she’d never see Luisa again. ‘And don’t come back.’

Luisa was crushed, but didn’t see what else she could do. There was one thing holding her back, ‘What will happen to Rafael if I leave? There’s no way he’d come with me, and I can’t let you hurt him.’

‘If you leave, then he’s the heir to the throne and he knows the truth about me. I can’t let him roam around with no consequences.’

‘I won’t leave if you intend to hurt him, Rose. I can’t let that happen.’

‘I’ll put him under modified house arrest. He’ll be confined to his rooms, so he won’t be able to see anyone. He’ll come to no harm by my hand.’

Luisa looked towards Rose, as if hoping that she’d change her mind at the last moment. When it became clear that wouldn’t happen, she smiled sadly. ‘I guess this is it, then. I don’t know if I could have forgiven you for what you did, and I guess now we’ll never know. Goodbye, Rose.’

Rose felt an odd sensation in her throat, as if there was an excess of fluid there struggling to get out. This was harder than she’d imagined it would be. ‘Goodbye, Luisa.’

Luisa left the room, leaving Rose alone with her thoughts. She reached up to touch her face, and was startled to find that it was wet. She had cried before, obviously, but in recent years they had been crocodile tears to better service her plans. She’d learned as a child that true ones didn’t get you very far. She wiped them away viciously, then focused on the problem at hand.

Promising Luisa a life in exile had been foolish. How many stories were there of ousted heirs raising an army from exile and quashing the evil tyrant? The palace library was full of them. She knew that Luisa would have no interest in doing any of that right now, but in five years? Ten? Who knew how exile would change her? No, it wasn’t going to work. She’d have to do something, and fast.

But what? This brought her back to her original conundrum. How could she neutralise the threat that she posed without killing her? She couldn’t just lock her up like she could with Rafael - Luisa was far too resourceful, she’d get out. Carrying on a secret relationship with her had taught her that much. But what else could she do? Perhaps, a light dose of a poison would be enough to knock her out, but not enough to kill her? But that would have to be constantly administered, and there was always the chance that someone could steal into the palace and administer the antidote. Perhaps even someone from within - Luisa was popular with the staff here.

The solution came to her then, as quickly and suddenly as a bolt of lightning. The Sleeping Curse, of course! She’d procured it years ago, from someone who was not quite a friend, but not quite an adversary either. She’d been doubtful that she’d ever need it – why go to such elaborate measures to place someone in such a permanent state of unconsciousness, when death would surely suffice?

She understood now.

But still, she hesitated. Luisa was not happy to go into exile, but she knew that it gave her the chance to be, one day. That wasn’t an opportunity that she’d have under the curse. It was also unlikely that she’d ever wake up. True love’s kiss was the only cure, and Rose didn’t believe in such a thing. If she did this, it was unlikely that she’d ever see her or speak to her while conscious again.

_But I don’t have a choice_ , she told herself, _I can’t fail now, not when I’m so close to everything that I’ve ever wanted._

How to administer it?

Rose was struck with another eureka moment then, and felt almost physically sick. If her previous idea was bad, this was even worse. _But what else can I do?_

She went to her vanity, and rummaged around in order to find the small vial that she required. _Here it is_ , she thought grimly. Outside of her room, a loyal guard was on watch duty. He was one of the first people she’d inducted into her inner circle, and she trusted him  - at least as far as she trusted anybody. She went to him, and spoke in a clear, commanding voice: ‘In the gardens, you will find the crown prince meeting with a member of the guard. Kill the guard, and capture the prince. Have him thrown in the dungeons for now, until I can make alternate arrangements.’ That part of the command came naturally to her, and she issued it as easily as breathing. The next part, however, was not so pleasant to swallow. ‘Then, I want you to take this vial, and pour its’ contents into a bottle of strong spirit. Then place the bottle in the crown princesses’ chambers.’

‘At once, your Majesty.’

* * *

 

Luisa made her way back to her own chambers slowly, making several stops along the way. She’d tried to find Rafael, to warn him, but he’d been nowhere to be found. She doubted that Rose had acted that quickly – _though nothing about her should surprise me anymore_ , she thought bitterly. When it became apparent that he wasn’t in any of his usual haunts, she’d given up and gone around the castle saying her goodbyes to the people who lived there, many of whom she’d known her entire life. She’d been deliberately vague so as not to cause too much concern, and she thought that a lot of them must have presumed she was drunk.

Eventually, she pushed back the door to her rooms. She needed to grab some supplies if she was going to do this – become an exile. Luisa was a romantic at heart, and wanted to believe that running away with Rose would have worked out for the best. Exile was only really appealing if she was with Rose, because at least they’d be able to work on their issues and maybe, eventually, be happy. The more rational side of her knew that her desperate plea wouldn’t have worked, that it wasn’t healthy – Rose hadn’t shown any genuine signs of remorse, the only bone that she’d thrown Luisa had been allowing her to leave with her life. _Some bone_ , Luisa thought derisively. Now, she was condemned to a life on the run, and would be stuck forevermore without any kind of closure.

Her suspicions were raised almost as soon as she entered the room – someone had been here. It was subtle, but Luisa had this feeling that something just wasn’t right. She looked around, and saw a large bottle waiting for her on her nightstand.

She sucked in a breath – it was her favourite spirit. Or had been, before she tried to give it up. This wasn’t here before, she made a point of not keeping alcohol in her room anymore. She used to keep a bottle tucked away at the bottom of her closet, to prove to herself that no matter how badly things were going, at least she wasn’t drinking. More often than not, she’d end up eventually drinking that very bottle. Rose had been the one to convince her to get rid of it, claiming it wasn’t healthy. Luisa had fought her on that, but later relented. She’d been right.

She walked closer to the bottle, realising when she saw it that she’d like nothing better than a drink. The desire was always there, niggling at the back of her mind, but she’d reached a place in her life where she was mostly able to ignore it. It was more than a persistent niggle now though, more like an ever-growing roar. The longer that she stared at the bottle, the louder it seemed to grow.

Luisa was an avid reader of adventure stories – she loved the escape that they offered her, and had ever since she was a child. She knew the signs of a trap when she saw one. She knew that the likelihood that the bottle was poisoned was high.

But the roar in her head was becoming almost unbearably loud, and spreading to other parts of her body. Coupled with the pain in her heart and the stab of betrayal that had yet to fade, it was impossible to ignore.

She twisted the lid off the bottle and drank.

And drank.

And drank.

Eventually, her eyes closed and her body began to shut down. She sank onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep, from which it was unlikely she would awaken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....yeah, so I haven't written Chapter 4 yet (which will likely be the last one), but I am going to try to give this as happy an ending as possible. It won't necessarily be the most realistic option, but this is a Disney AU so it has to have one!

**Author's Note:**

> -If you're interested, here is the red dress Luisa was wearing at the wedding:https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2014-12/28/14/enhanced/webdr04/anigif_enhanced-buzz-25714-1419793221-12_preview.gif  
> -And here is Rose's wedding dress, except she had a veil that covered her face:https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/96/1c/dd/961cdda86d1a0c5230d308c85847ac3e.jpg


End file.
